An LCD has the advantages of portability, low power consumption, and low radiation, and has been widely used in various portable information products such as notebooks, personal digital assistants (PDAs), video cameras and the like. Furthermore, the LCD is considered by many to have the potential to completely replace CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and televisions.
In order to ensure the quality of newly manufactured LCDs, a series of tests for checking the functions of the LCDs must be performed before the LCDs leave the factory. Generally, a plurality of testing apparatuses are needed for different tests, such as a contrast ratio test, a color quality test, and so on.
FIG. 2 is an isometric view of part of a typical testing apparatus used in an LCD testing line in a factory, together with two LCDs positioned thereon. The testing apparatus 100 includes a transmission floor 110 having a plurality of rollers 111 positioned at two parallel long sides thereof, a plurality of boards 120, 121 positioned on the rollers 111, a plurality of stopping units 130 positioned at a middle part of the transmission floor 110, a plurality of buttons 131 used to control the stopping units 130, and a plurality of testing devices 160 (only one shown) positioned beside the transmission floor 111. Each testing device 160 includes a computer 162, a display device 164, and an input/output (I/O) circuit 165. The I/O circuit 165 includes a video signal I/O port, an audio signal I/O port, and a USB (universal serial bus) I/O port.
The boards 120, 121 can slide along the transmission floor 110 at a predetermined speed, and are provided for carrying products such as LCDs 180 to be tested. Each LCD 180 includes a video signal I/O port, an audio signal I/O port, and a USB I/O port. The LCD 180 is also provided with three leads corresponding to the three ports, to enable connection between the ports of the LCD 180 and the corresponding ports of any of the testing devices 160.
The stopping units 130 can be raised in order to stop the respective boards 120, 121, and also can be lowered under the boards 120, 121 in order to allow the boards 120, 121 to slide along to respective next testing devices 160 (only one shown). Each stopping unit 130 is driven by an electric motor (not shown) or a compressed air driving device (not shown). When an operator presses a corresponding one of the buttons 131, an electrical signal is generated by an external circuit (not shown) and is applied to drive the electric motor or the compressed air driving device. Then the stopping unit 130 is lowered under the corresponding board 120 or 121. Otherwise, if the button 131 is not pressed, the stopping unit 130 stays in a raised position to stop the corresponding board 120 or 121.
Operation of the testing apparatus 100 is described in detail as follows. After the LCD 180 on the board 121 arrives at a location corresponding to the testing device 160 shown and stops moving, an operator connects the LCD 180 to the I/O circuit 165 through one of the video signal I/O port, the audio signal I/O port, and the USB I/O port of the board 121. Then the testing device 160 performs a test procedure to check one of the functions of the LCD 180, such as a contrast ratio of the LCD 180.
When the function test is finished, the operator disconnects the LCD 180 from the corresponding video signal I/O port, audio signal I/O port or USB I/O port of the board 121. The operator then presses the corresponding button 131, so that the board 121 having the LCD 180 thereon can move to a next testing device 160 (not shown) in order to check other functions of the LCD 180. Other functions tested may include color quality of the LCD 180, and so on.
As described above, before the testing device 160 performs a test procedure to check one of the functions of the corresponding LCD 180, the operator needs to connect the LCD 180 to the I/O circuit 165 of the testing device 160 through one of the video signal I/O port, the audio signal I/O port, and the USB I/O port of the board 120. Furthermore, after the function test is finished, the operator needs to disconnect the LCD 180 from the I/O circuit 165. Then the board 121 having the LCD 180 thereon can move to a next testing device 160 (not shown) in order to check another function of the LCD 180. Thus, before the next testing device 160 (not shown) performs a test procedure to check the other function of the LCD 180, an operator needs to connect the corresponding LCD 180 to the I/O circuit 165 of the testing device 160 (not shown). After the other function test is finished, the operator needs to disconnect the LCD 180 from the I/O circuit 165. These repeated manual connection and disconnection procedures for checking various functions of the LCD 180 at each of the testing devices 160 are time consuming, and are subject to human error. As a result, the efficiency of the testing apparatus 100 is limited.
It is desired to provide an automatic testing apparatus which overcomes the above-described deficiencies.